1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to an oven door assembly having inner and outer insulating dead air spaces and a convection air passage.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Ovens and their general construction are well known. Typically, an oven includes a cooking cavity having an opening which is selectively closed by a pivotally mounted door assembly. Usually, ovens are of two general configurations, built-in units, i.e. built into cabinet or wall structure, or slide-in and free standing units generally combined with cooktops which are commonly referred to as oven ranges. The doors furnished with ovens can be composed of multiple components which can include a sealing panel, thermal insulation, a window, an intermediate panel, an outer panel, handles, hinges and, in some instances, a decorative face covering made of metal, glass or the like.
One important concern in connection with constructing an oven door is the need to ensure that a front or outer surface of the door is maintained at an acceptable temperature level throughout a cooking operation, as the front surface can be touched by a consumer. In an oven door that is not provided with a window or transparent zone for visually inspecting the contents of an oven cavity, a significant amount of room exists for insulation material. Therefore, under these circumstances, the front surface can be readily prevented from excessive heating. When a window or, more accurately, window panes are provided in the door, the space available for insulation is significantly reduced. In addition, incorporating window panes into an oven door will necessarily increase an overall thickness of the door as space must be provided for a thermal insulation barrier. Regardless, excessive heating of the front surface of the door must still be considered and prevented.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art for an effective and economical window containing oven door construction wherein the front surface of the oven door does not overheat during operation of the oven, particularly during high temperature operations, such as self-cleaning cycles. More specifically, there exists a need for an oven door that incorporates various dead air spaces between a cooling air passage and the front surface of the oven door to minimize heat transfer while maintaining a generally thin profile.